GFSI Food Safety Certification Assists Food Manufacturers to Comply with the New Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)

Iowa-based CERT ID Is Now ANSI Accredited to Offer GFSI Food Safety Certification Programs

FAIRFIELD, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An estimated 40,000 to 50,000 food producing sites in the U.S. will receive third-party food safety certification through one of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarked standards. GFSI food safety certification is required by many large retailers such as Walmart and Target, and is quickly becoming a prerequisite for suppliers to participate in the global marketplace. Of significant benefit to those companies that are GFSI certified is that the certification will assist them in meeting the requirements of the newly enacted Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Requirements of GFSI such as HACCP plans, documentation of a food safety plan, including incident and recall management, and traceability of lots are found in the FSMA. For companies that are not operating to GFSI standards, complying with FSMA may prove to be challenging.

“This accreditation achievement confirms CERT ID’s high degree of professionalism and competency, and indicates conformance to rigorous national and international standards for third party certification. As an accredited certification body, CERT ID provides an enhanced level of certainty and confidence to companies seeking certification”

CERT ID, an Iowa-based certification body, is now ANSI accredited (American National Standards Institute) to certify companies to the GFSI-benchmarked SQF Food Safety Code. Prior to receiving accreditation for SQF, CERT ID had received accreditation for the GFSI-benchmarked BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, and for the BRC Global Standard for Storage and Distribution.

“This accreditation achievement confirms CERT ID’s high degree of professionalism and competency, and indicates conformance to rigorous national and international standards for third party certification. As an accredited certification body, CERT ID provides an enhanced level of certainty and confidence to companies seeking certification,” says Rhonda Wellik, CEO of CERT ID. CERT ID has been providing third party food safety certification globally since 1999, with clients that are manufacturers, retailers and agricultural producers.

GFSI is a collaboration of the world’s leading food safety experts representing a broad range of participants in the supply chain from primary producer to retailer. GFSI promotes continuous improvement in food safety management systems through its globally recognized and benchmarked food safety standards. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standard for Food Safety and the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Code are the most popular GFSI benchmarked standards in North America at this time.

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